BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts: BMW M4 Competition xDrive Coupe- 1000 miles Update Can someone pinch me, Please? It feels like a dream and I’m still not able to believe that I own a BMW M4 Competition. 2-months just flew by and I have been alternating between the X3M40i and the M4 Competition over this period and I got a pretty good hang about their key differences. I have clocked just 1300 miles till now in 2-months as last month was pretty much on work and pleasure travel to Mexico, East Coast and West Coast. I may compare it with it’s so to speak “weaker sibling”- B58 in this update but, it’s just for fun’s sake as there is no real comparison between the B58 vs. S58 as the latter is a whole another level and at least 2X level from a performance perspective. This is not about what I like or dislike about the M4 but, just basic observations. So, here we go : 1. Firstly, the M4 feels quite intimidating as whenever I am driving this car, I feel under pressure as there are so many options to play around with. I can’t seem to decide should I drive in efficient mode or Sports mode or should I toggle between the M1 or M2 modes wherein one of them is set up with MDM (Partial traction control off which is in between of a AWD and 2WD). Why MDM? Because, I am still not confident to drive in 2WD or with full DSC OFF as the weather here is rainy and wet most of the time. Had it been dry, I would have taken the DSC off and slotted into 2WD. These driving modes change the characteristics of the car dramatically and with with MDM on, I can feel the car sliding if I give it the gas in a sweeping corner. Oh boy, it’s so satisfying as I don’t feel scared or alarmed with the tail going out as it happens gradually and you can correct the steering mid corner to bring it back in line. Heck, it’s a lot of fun and I’m learning the slides as we speak. Bottom line- It is not as simple as X3M40i where I just choose between Comfort, Sports and Sports +. The technology in the car is overwhelming. 2. The M4 feels big and heavy. The size of the car is big, sleek and quite long (especially the wheelbase). It also feels like sitting in a roll-cage. After a lot of playing around, I finally found a great seating position after adjusting the seats multiple times and now I sit pretty low to the ground. It’s fantastic to say the least. The weight can definetly be felt and there is a solidity about the car that is hard to describe. Feels bullet proof, But, when you are moving, it masks the weight pretty good and you don’t feel the weight at all. Also, as mentioned before, the doors open pretty wide so you need a lot of room to get in and out. 3. Steering is lightning fast and direct and this is one of the best feature of the car. Also, the experience of driving the M4 is so different than the X3M40i as in the X3 there is no road surface feel on the hands when holding the steering. Here you can feel the whole surface, the steering twitches and jumps in your hand when you cross a road divining line. It’s simply exhilarating. 4. Brakes- M4 brakes make a squealing noise when you bring the car slowly to a halt. I believe as per the BMW forums, it’s by design. It’s a bit embarrassing but, that’s fine. I don’t hear the squeal when I do a hard brake stop. Also, I never experienced brakes so powerful in my life. Just to give an example, when I am cruising at 80mph (135kph), all I need is a gentle touch to the brakes (yeah, like I feather it from the surface) and, the car slows down rapidly. At much slower speeds, a feather touch to brake just feels like hitting a wall. Confidence inspiring brakes. Another issue which is common in M cars is the brake dust. It accumulates quickly and quite a lot. But, thanks to the black rimmed 926M wheels, it’s not visible at first glance. I have never cleaned the wheels even once since I got the car. If you give a closer look to the wheels, the brake dust is evident. 5. Ride- As I vehemently called out in my original review, ride initially felt like sitting in a “roll-cage” now I change my opinion after clocking these miles as the ride although is stiff but, is not bone-jarring. This car can be a daily for sure. As per M4 forums, almost everyone uses their M4/M3 as a daily car. And, I am using this car exactly the same way- Took it to work a few times, grocery shopping and of course the pleasure drives in the mountains and backroads for which it’s truly built. 6. Seats- I’m a big built fella and these seats are some of the best and comfortable seats that I ever sat in. Thankfully, I don’t have the carbon seats as while they look fantastic, it is definitely not comfortable (from all reviews on the M4 forum) especially for getting and out. Compared to my Mercedes which isn’t the most comfortable and X3M40i (which also has comfortable seats but, it took me a few months to be comfortable due to its bolsters), this is a perfect combination of plush and soft high-quality leather and also with the right amount of bolsters and contouring. Very happy with the seats. 7. Power- The power in the M4 is extremely giddy. I happened to drive an Audi TT RS (Will share a brief review soon) recently which is a compact sports sedan with 390 horsepower. That felt like a pedestrian and normal car in comparison to the M4. Heck, it cannot even be compared with the B58. BMW does something about power delivery which I personally believe no other manufacturer can match. BMW makes you discard all belief on the performance numbers in a car. For example, you say Audi/Mercedes/Subaru/Lexus/Cadillac etc. makes 400+ horsepower, I won’t be impressed because its not about the power figures on paper but, it’s how the power is delivered. BMW has mastered this art. The power in the M4 comes instantly due to its 690NM of torque and seems endless. I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. 8.Exhaust : This is the only disappointing feature of the M4. Don’t get me wrong, the sound when you sit inside the cabin is like an earthquake with deep rumbles when you drop gears and accelerate but, it’s just that-Deep rumbles. The exhaust note when heard from outside is quite dismal. The B58 stock sounds a lot better. I have decided to fix this downside with a basic modification- I don’t want to change the sound of the S58 as it’s amazing deep growl which is exhilarating for sure but, I want to just make it louder. Some basic & simple mod are COMING SOON !!! 9. Handling (xDrive & Tires) – The handling of the M4 cannot be expressed in words. I think us normal enthusiasts do not have even 50% of the capability to exploit the true potential of its handling prowess. In my own small way, as is with all cars, I keep trying to take corners at higher speed and understand how the car behaves so I know that I should not push it beyond its limits. With the M4, I take some corners at 80mph in rains and it just does not feel scary at all. It feels normal, planted and just going about doing its business. The Michelin PS4S is simply gold standard tire as even though a dry performance tires, it is phenomenal even in rains. I have been driving constantly in rain for the past month and car is glued to the road like fevicol. The only issue is when I take corners, everything in the cabin flying around- My phone, wallet, small knick knacks….ROFL. The only way to enjoy the M4 is to make sure you are not carrying any items in the car. !! Chassis : M4 has this brilliant feature of controlling the chassis in multiple options and the difference really shows. It feels like magic when things dial up and on the fly you can toggle it up and down depending on the mood and how you want to drive. The car feels highly planted at any speed in any type of corner. 9. Harman Kardon- Every time I sit in the car and want to enjoy some music. I just haven’t been able to. I want to feel the raw, visceral and heart in the mouth experience when driving the M4 each and every time. The music system just mars that experience so I’m mostly driving without the music playing which is saying a lot as I like my music when driving. Jokes aside, HARMAN KARDON in M4 is pretty nice but, it’s still not for audiophiles and I consider myself an amateur one. 10. Fuel Average : This may shock you. Firstly, the M4 cannot be driven slow. I’m looking for opportunities to-Beat the Red Light, Launch at every red light, floor it every other mile and I still get amazing fuel average of 21-22mpg. This is the biggest surprise package of the M4. I was mentally prepared for 15-16mpg but, I am pleasantly surprised as Seattle has the most expensive gas in the country (Yeah, we have beaten California too and premium gas price hovers at $5/gallon or more). This is where BMW has made progression in their technology compared to other performance car manufactures and I would say is purely because of the in-line 6 engine (V8’s were and are gas guzzlers), they spend lot of money on R&D to not just make their cars go fast but, also ensure the consumers get awesome fuel efficiency. I think it’s a great decision to dump the V8 for the In-line 6 which is the primary reason for better efficiency without sacrificing power. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.
